I guess only people with a fat savings account can get dogs! No wonder there are so many in shelters. I guess I shouldn't have mine even though they'd pretty much all be dead if I hadn't adopted them. And it's funny, my vet has allowed me to make payments when I couldn't pay it all upfront. Other vets allowed me to use post-dated cheques while I get funds in order. A dog would have to be pretty **** special for me to pay $1500 and to be quite honest I can't imagine any that are more special than mine! And here I paid a total of $200 for all of them. lol

The point is, yes, it's good to have some money set aside even if it's just available on credit cards but because you can't pay $1500 upfront is no reason not to provide a loving home to a dog. Especially with so many in need of a little TLC. There are ways to get a dog the help it needs in the case of an emergency.

As for the other costs they vary from situation to situation. If you get a dog from a rescue they will probably cost less than $300 and already be altered with initial shots and dewormed. Minimum.

Doggy day care? If you need it. It sounds like the OP is home a lot so maybe she doesn't need it. I have never used it. It's certainly not the norm out here. I'd have to drive over an hour just to get them to one!

Health clearances? hm I don't think we are talking about a breeder here. Definitely a personal decision.

And training. Of course that's a great help. Especially for new owners but there is quite a range of cost and it's a monthly fee not a big sum upfront. Much more manageable.

4X the cost of the dog in a savings account? I guess I'm set with Sakari. 4X0 is $0 lol That's something I can afford!